Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I go thrift shopping or vintage clothes shopping weekly it seems. Why? I love vintage and one of kind clothes!! Through my trips to these stores, I have come across some AMAZING deals, and have come up with a set of rules to follow when thrifting or vintage shopping. I highly recommend following these rules if you are new to the land of second hand clothes!

1.) Set a budget and follow that budget. I recommend $35.00 per store, per trip. There is a huge chance you will stay under budget, but having enough money just in case is important.
2.) Eat and go to the bathroom before you go to the shop! This is important since you don't want to be looking through the racks of awesome clothes and have your stomach growling or have to pee (some shops don't have public restrooms). Eating before you go helps you focus as well.
3.) Get a shopping cart if the shop has them. You don't want to be going through racks of clothes and acessories while juggaling your bag or other items.
4.) Take your time. If you rush through a store, you may miss a rockin' tee shirt or a cute skirt.
5.) Know your size.
6.) Try everything on!!! I can't stress this enough!!! Most resale and vintage shops don't have a return policy or exchange policy! IF IT DOESN"T FIT, DON"T BUY IT!
7.) Look at the label. It tells you everything you need to know from size and care instructions, to what the garment is made of. (NOTE* Sometimes there will be no tag or label. In that case, it pays to know your fabrics and how to care for them)
8.) Look at the coindition of the item. Are there stains? Are there holes? Does it smell funky?
9.) Consider the care and upkeep of the item as well as the price. If it's something you love, you might need to consider if it wrinkles easily or needs to be dry cleaned.
10.) Look at the price tag and ask about sales. Many stores have a certain % off certain color price tags or the store might have sweaters on sale that day.
11.) Ask about loyalty programs or purchase club cards. These are usally little cards that get punched if you buy a certain amount and when the card is full, you get a cetain amount off!
12.) When leaving the shop, wash your hands or use an instant hand sanitizer. These shops can be filthy!!
13.) Wash or dry clean your garment as soon as possible. They too can be filthy!
The basics are all here. Now all you have to do is enjoy the land of second hand clothes and have fun. You never know what you might find and amazingly, there are brand new clothes in some of these shops. So don't put down thrift shopping, it can build up your wardrobe and save you some serious money!!
Til next time,
LOVE AND LOLLIPOPS
Amy